Javier Gomez wins long-distance triathlon world title

Javi Gómez Noya claims a stunning sixth triathlon world title – his first in long-distance triathlon. The result was one of many highlights on a big weekend for Team On, with Tim Don also topping the podium.

Racing in his hometown of Pontevedra, Spain, Javier Gómez was intent on putting in a big performance in front of his fans at the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships. And Javi, who already has five standard-distance world titles, did not disappoint.

The triathlon legend saw off 39 other elite athletes; beating his nearest competitor by more than five minutes with a time of 5:05:39.

Javi made his intentions clear in the early stages of the race, building up a lead in the shortened 1.5km swim. First to exit the water, he was overtaken during the 110km cycle. But, as he so often does, regained an 18-second lead on the first lap of the run and didn’t look back.

Spurred on by a vocal crowd, Javi dominated all four-laps of the 30km run to add yet another world title to his already packed trophy cabinet.

“It was so hard, especially that last lap on the run and they pushed me all the way and I am so glad I got this one at home. It was a very special day and I am really happy with my performance.

“It was a tough day. I felt good on the bike, it was a good bike course for me, really hard. I had some energy for the run. Everyone started really fast out of transition and I knew we would blow up, luckily I am the last to do so. I am really happy,” said Gomez.

On the podium – around the world.

A big weekend for On athletes got even bigger as fellow members of Team On stepped onto podiums across the globe.

Switzerland’s Caroline Steffen took second place at Ironman Ocean Australia, completing the Port Macquarie course (2.4-mile [3.86km] swim, 180.25 km [112-mile] cycle and a marathon 42.20km [26.22-mile] run) in 09:17:28. Caroline laced up her Cloudflow to put down a 3:17:45 marathon.

Silver was also Bart Aernout’s reward for a strong race at the Ironman 70.3 event in St. George, Utah, US. A runner up at the 2018 Ironman World Championships, the Belgian looked in strong form as he completed the course in 3:50:58, finishing with a sub-1:15 half marathon.

Andrew Colley of On Zap Endurance was another On athlete putting in big times on the road. Andrew took third at the US Half Marathon Championships, clocking a 1:03:11.

The Cloudrush

The racing flat with a little extra cushioning worn by Bart, Andrew and Flo. Made for crushing rivals in complete comfort.

Going long was On’s German trail star Florian Neuschwander. He took on the Wings for Life World Run, which sees racers simultaneously compete around the world to see who can go furthest before a “catcher car” reaches them. Racing in Munich, Florian finished third overall, covering 61.59 km (38.27 miles) before he was caught – just 2.7km (1.6 miles) less than the eventual winner.

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